Working Words: I strive to empower you to write with confidence and clarity in your own voice.
I offer editing services to fiction authors, especially to newer authors. I enjoy working in all genres, yet truly love romance and fantasy.
COLLABORATIVE EDITING
Collaborative editing is great for newer authors looking for a way to ease into the editing process. This editing service examines all aspects of your project: plot structure, character development, genre elements, stylistic choices, consistency, and grammar. (Similar to line editing or substantive editing.)
My feedback includes specific comments and suggested solutions to support you in creating the best work possible. This editing process is collaborative because I provide ongoing feedback throughout the project so that you have opportunities to ask questions along the way. I use general chapter notes, comments in Word, and Track Changes in Word to create an ongoing conversation.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING
Developmental editing looks at the big picture, and helps writers out of saggy middles and strengthens the narrative arc and story elements. A developmental edit offers support around the structure of the novel, including plot, character development, setting, point of view, and pacing (balance of narration, action, and dialogue).
My feedback includes a letter outlining what works and what could be strengthened. I suggest solutions to help you improve and revise the different story elements, point out repeating problems, and provide resources to help you hone your writing craft skills. And like a collaborative edit, I love meeting with clients to talk about the feedback to create a thoughtful conversation that amplifies the author’s vision and voice.
STYLISTIC COPY EDITING
Stylistic copy editing is suitable for writers who already have a solid structure and need some support with grammar, punctuation, spelling, wordiness, clarity, and consistency. I will also provide some feedback around voice, including sentence types, word choices, and tone, along the way (which makes the edit more stylistic). I provide you with comments, solutions, and feedback to improve readability, sentence structure, and consistency of tone, voice, and flow. A stylistic copy edit is similar to a line edit (feedback on more than the grammar, spelling, and punctuation.)
For writers who have already completed a collaborative edit or a structural or developmental edit, copy editing is a great way to ensure that your manuscript is ready for the proofreading stage.
LIGHT COPY EDITING
A light copy edit is suitable for writers who have had several sets of eyes on their work (developmental edits, line edits, or collaborative edits), and who are looking for support with grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A light copy edit focuses on the final details before formatting and proofreading.
My feedback includes Track Changes and fewer queries and suggestions.
MANUSCRIPT EVALUATIONS
Manuscript evaluations are a great option for authors looking for feedback about their work that looks at the big picture. Feedback would include comments about the structure of the story and the plot, character development, genre elements, and writing style.
A manuscript evaluation is not as detailed or in-depth as a developmental edit, and is a great option for a tighter budget. It includes an editorial letter, and may include some notes in the manuscript document. This service provides feedback and direction on how to get your manuscript ready for the next step in your publishing journey.
QUOTE
I follow the Editorial Freelances Association and Editors Canada guidelines for rates. I provide clients with a specific quote based on the fee guidelines set by editing associations and also based on the sample edit I provide. Please contact me to receive an accurate quote.
*Note: Most often projects end up being between $1,100-$2,500, depending on the type of editing and the length of the manuscript. I also offer payment plan options. Please get in touch to ask me more.
Some notes about AI-generated content
AI is here to stay and how we use this new technology continues to change. It’s essential to be aware of how AI-generated content will affect your ability to publish your manuscript. For example, here in Canada, you cannot get an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) if your manuscript contains AI-generated content. Also, Canadian copyright requires that authorship must be attributed to a human.
According to the Government of Canada, using AI for brainstorming or formatting is acceptable AI use, so please stay informed about the regulations around AI and publishing. You can check out more information about the Canadian context by looking at the Consultation on Copyright in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence: What we heard report.
Because of these regulations around AI-generated text and content (not being able to get an ISBN and not being able to obtain copyright), I do not work on manuscripts that contain AI-generated content.
Also note, the new industry standard for editing AI-generated content is to add up to 50% to the fee. For more information, you can check out the blogs on Jane Friedman’s and Josh Bernoff’s websites. Editing AI-generated content takes more time and so ends up costing more. One reason AI-generated content (even if only partially included) ends up taking more time to edit is because the editor now has to make authorial decisions—including rewriting or providing detailed solutions—about tone and mood, characterization, and voice to ensure consistency throughout the manuscript.
For more thoughts on the importance of transparency in AI use, check out this article (“Editors’ Statement on the Responsible Use of Generative AI Technologies in Scholarly Journal Publishing”) from the National Library of Medicine. Although the focus is nonfiction, the article has some interesting concepts to consider.
Lastly, in the words of editor Tiffany Yates Martin, “I hope authors might remind themselves that this is not a craft about results and product. Creativity is about process, and automating that to a machine undermines and circumvents the beating heart of any creative pursuit.”